Remote Control Aircraft Tug (split from Hangar Math)

[johneeb]

Thanks for doing that John. One more question. Is there a Brake? or is the friction sufficient when un powering the motor through the planetary set? Thanks.

Doug there is no brake per-say. My ramp does not have much grade so in my case not something I have had to deal with, I suppose you could consider the ability to reverse the drive a brake or if significant an issue build one in. A note about the traction it is surprisingly good when tug is on the icy ramps (and loaded) we have here during the Chicago winters.

[canav8]

John, thank you for the attention to detail regarding the replies. Sorry just short of offering blue prints, I am putting this together in my head. I really could use any detailed pictures you used. I have a mechanical understanding. I have looked over actuators. How did you come to the conclusion of how much power you needed? How much power did you figure?
I still have more questions.
1. What are the bars in the bucket for? are they a brace or serve a mechanical purpose?
2. Did you fabricate the bucket? or use something at the local hardware store?
3. I am still confused about the planetary drive. I have found 11 tooth drive gears to attach to the Currie motor. Are you saying your planetary has a higher torque ratio then a set up with say the 11 tooth instead of the 19tooth drive gear?
4. I saw your hangar, you have no room for a machine shop in there. Where is all the stuff? LOL

[blueldr]

The winch didn't get greedy, either.

[johneeb]

John, thank you for the attention to detail regarding the replies. Sorry just short of offering blue prints, I am putting this together in my head. I really could use any detailed pictures you used. I have a mechanical understanding. I have looked over actuators. How did you come to the conclusion of how much power you needed? How much power did you figure?
I still have more questions.
1. What are the bars in the bucket for? are they a brace or serve a mechanical purpose?
2. Did you fabricate the bucket? or use something at the local hardware store?
3. I am still confused about the planetary drive. I have found 11 tooth drive gears to attach to the Currie motor. Are you saying your planetary has a higher torque ratio then a set up with say the 11 tooth instead of the 19tooth drive gear?
4. I saw your hangar, you have no room for a machine shop in there. Where is all the stuff? LOL

Doug,
1. If by bars in the bucket you are referring to the red wood blocks, there function is to steer the tail-wheel into the bucket and keep it centered.
2. I had a local steel fabrication shop use a very strong roller to create the bucket out of .125 plate, the bucket has a 4.5 radius.
3. I prefer to think of the planetary by how much it slowed down the drive, these numbers will be from memory the original (19 tooth) sprocket combination required the motor shaft to turn 6 times to turn the large sprocket once with the new smaller (11 tooth) required the motor shaft to turn 10.4 times to turn the large sprocket once (still to fast) the planetary reducer and the 11 tooth sprocket require the motor shaft to turn, approximately, 40 times to turn the large sprocket once (just right said the baby bear).


For the actuator (bear in mind I am a lot closer to a blacksmith than an engineer) I got lucky the first one I tried fit the needs of the tug perfectly. Here is a link to W.W. Granger actuator that I used http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DUFFNO ... Pid=search.

[GAHorn]

[... I am a lot closer to a black smith than an engineer) ...].

I didn't realize we had an ethnic minority in our group. WELCOME! Is your airplane painted with a RED TAIL?

[Bill Hart]

This is kinda off topic but we are buying one of these.

http://www.mototok.com/pages/video-twin.html

[canav8]

This is kinda off topic but we are buying one of these.

http://www.mototok.com/pages/video-twin.html

That's neat Bill, So How Much?

[blueldr]

What does the price have to do with it? If you like it and it's for your airplane, buy it. If you can OWN your own airplane you must have an endless source of the long green. Just ask someone who is not into general aviation.

[hilltop170]

I don't know, that thing looks like it has "hangar rash" written all over it.

[canav8]

I don't know, that thing looks like it has "hangar rash" written all over it.

Yup , so here I am thinking my son gets a radio control car for his birthday. The frequency to control the car is a secondary skip in wavelength and gives intermittent feed back while Bill is pushing out that G5 out of his hangar then all of a sudden my son notices that if he pushes this control this way, it makes a cool sound as the wing is tagging the hangar wall, and my son is yelling out, daddy my truck wont move anymore...lol

[Bill Hart]

The cost is in the 60K range, The raido frequency is a frequency that they use on these giant overhead cranes you see in shipyards. I am not sure what the freq is but I have been told that it is well protected and approved for use at airports.

[Ryan Smith]

I would venture to say that the tug (not John's, but incidentally his is as well) is on the 2.4GhZ band. 2.4 has been used for industrial applications for about 20 years and within the last 5 years has made its way into R/C. Likely the range on either of the Motok or the R/C car's transmitter would be very great. The transmitter that John is using has a pretty long range (around two miles), but it will be limited because of all of the hangars and whatnot. That band is pretty impervious to interference, so you would likely not have any issues.

Probably more than you wanted to know for having made a tongue-in-cheek comment.

[canav8]

I was just playin. I knew that thing was going to be north of 50K. Thats why Johneb's design is so slick. It is an awesome DIY project on my list that can be put together for about $600. I am going to improve on John's design a little because I want to move gliders in and out of the hangar. This thing is perfect.
Question for Johneb.
The 19 tooth freewheel is no longer available with the planetary drive kit. Did I understand you to say that you used the stock 11 tooth on the planatary shaft and drilled and pinned it to the shaft and discarded the 19tooth freewheel sprocket? Thanks.
More pictures please?

[Bill Hart]

I was just playin. I knew that thing was going to be north of 50K. Thats why Johneb's design is so slick. It is an awesome DIY project on my list that can be put together for about $600. I am going to improve on John's design a little because I want to move gliders in and out of the hangar. This thing is perfect.
Question for Johneb.
The 19 tooth freewheel is no longer available with the planetary drive kit. Did I understand you to say that you used the stock 11 tooth on the planatary shaft and drilled and pinned it to the shaft and discarded the 19tooth freewheel sprocket? Thanks.
More pictures please?

No kidding when I saw Johneb's design I though I just might need to build one. Doug is there any way you can digitize your plans once you have them together and maybe post them online?

[johneeb]

...............Question for Johneb.
The 19 tooth freewheel is no longer available with the planetary drive kit. Did I understand you to say that you used the stock 11 tooth on the planatary shaft and drilled and pinned it to the shaft and discarded the 19tooth freewheel sprocket? Thanks.
More pictures please?

Doug,
You are correct I used the 11 tooth sprocket on the planetary shaft and did drill and use a roll pin to anchor the sprocket to the shaft. Is the planetary still available? If not you will have to figure out another way to slow down the drive, I was considering a two step four sprocket set up when I found the planetary reducer.

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